An item of equipment routinely carried by law enforcement officers is a two-way radio commonly referred to as a walkie talkie for reception and transmission of communications. In a typical configuration the radio is powered by a removably attachable battery assembly. When the battery pack is in the attached position positive and negative electrical contact is made between the terminals of the battery pack and the terminals of the radio. When the battery pack is removed it may be stored or recharged as needed. By designing the battery packs to be interchangeable, a radio may be powered by one battery pack while another battery pack is being recharged.
Another item of basic equipment carried by law enforcement officers in addition to a two-way radio is a portable light source such as a hand held flashlight. The flashlight is typically powered by batteries removably installed in a housing with terminals electrically connectable to an electric light bulb. The light from the light bulb is focused into a beam by a reflector and lens assembly.
Thus, a law enforcement officer carries a light source, a radio, and a separate power source for each. Since the light source and the radio could be powered simultaneously by a single power source, separate power sources are redundant. Moreover, since the light source and the radio are physically separate, they must occupy both hands of the officer if they are to be used simultaneously. This hampers the officer's flexibility, especially in critical situations when the officer's weapon must be drawn in self-defense or in defense of another.
Therefore, it would be desirable to provide an integrated light source and radio unit that can be held in one hand. It would also be desirable to provide a single power source to power both the light source and the radio in an integrated unit. Further, since resources for law enforcement equipment are limited, it is desirable to design a light source that can be integrated with existing radio and power source equipment.